Soaking hay is a common practice in the equine industry because of its benefits to the equine respiratory system. This study will show how this practice may affect the availability of three essential macro minerals. This study also demonstrated the application of experiential learning using a real-world agricultural issue to an undergraduate teaching laboratory situation. The students examined the effects of soaking forage in varying qualities of water (distilled water, well water) on the plant concentrations of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Forage samples will be soaked separately in waters of varying source, for varying lengths of time. Increases in aqueous concentration of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, presumably leached from the plant material, were measured as a function of time. Students present results of this study in light of learning objectives and benchmarks such sample measurement, standardization, data assessment, and quality control

Lake Erie and the Blanchard River have both been shown to be vulnerable to Harmful Algal Blooms due to nutrient overloading. Advisory phosphorus levels once thought to be acceptable up to 300 ppb P have since been lowered to as little as 100 ppb P, depending on the type of water source affected. The purpose of this exercise is to offer a potential remediation of the problem by removal of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from natural water by coagulation with alum. The jar test itself and subsequent analysis of phosphorus using the ascorbic acid method will provide opportunity for experiential learning using research methods directed at addressing a real-world problem with analytical techniques, sampling protocols, quality control measures, and data management appropriate to an undergraduate analytical chemistry class